Articles
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A Real-Time Wideband Neural Vocoder at 1.6 kb/s Using LPCNet
This is an update on the LPCNet project, an efficient neural speech synthesizer from Mozilla’s Emerging Technologies group. LPCNet combines signal processing and deep learning to improve the efficiency of neural speech synthesis. Our recent work turns LPCNet into a very low-bitrate neural speech codec that’s actually usable on current hardware and even on phones.
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Scroll Anchoring in Firefox 66
Firefox 66 was released last week with a new feature called scroll anchoring, based on a new CSS specification. Scroll anchoring works to anchor the user to the content they’re looking at. As this content is moved by ads, screen rotations, screen resizes, or other causes, the page now scrolls to keep you at the same relative position to it. Learn how our intervention works.
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Standardizing WASI: A system interface to run WebAssembly outside the web
WebAssembly is an assembly language for a conceptual machine, not a physical one. This is why it can be run across a variety of different machine architectures. WebAssembly needs a system interface for a conceptual operating system, not any single operating system. This way, it can be run across all different OSs. WASI is a system interface for the WebAssembly platform that will be a true companion to WebAssembly and uphold the key principles of portability and security.
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Firefox 66: The Sound of Silence
Firefox 66 is out, and brings with it a host of great new features like screen sharing, scroll anchoring, autoplay blocking for audible media, and initial support for the Touch Bar on macOS.
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A Homepage for the JavaScript Specification
Ecma TC39 has shipped a website for following updates to the JavaScript specification. It's the first part of a two-part project to help people find the information they need in order to understand the specification and our process. The current website is a simple MVP that provides links to our most significant documents, as well as a list of proposals that are near completion. We will experiment with other features as the need arises.
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Fast, Bump-Allocated Virtual DOMs with Rust and Wasm
Dodrio is a new virtual DOM library that is designed to leverage the strengths of both Wasm’s linear memory and Rust’s low-level control by making extensive use of fast bump allocation. Early benchmarking results validate Dodrio’s design and show that it already has best-in-class performance. Now we're seeking feedback from real-world usage.
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Iodide: an experimental tool for scientific communication and exploration on the web
Meet Iodide, an experimental open source tool to help scientists write beautiful interactive documents using web technologies, all within a browser-based iterative workflow that will be familiar to many scientists.
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Real virtuality: connecting real things to virtual reality using web technologies
WebXR meets the Web of Things when two developers build a prototype that applies 3D visualisation to power an IoT interface. In this post they demonstrate how open, accessible web technologies make it possible to combine software from different domains to create engaging new interactive experiences. And how you can get started too!
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Implications of Rewriting a Browser Component in Rust
There have been 69 security bugs in Firefox’s style component since the browser was first released in 2002. If we'd had a time machine and could have written this component in Rust from the start, 51 (73.9%) of these bugs would not have been possible. Rust isn't foolproof, but by removing the burden of memory safety, Rust lets programmers focus on logical correctness and soundness.
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Announcing a New Management Structure for Ecma TC39
In 2019, Ecma’s TC39—the standardizing body behind JavaScript/ECMAScript—will change its management structure to reflect the growth of the committee and the frequency of its meetings. TC39 will move away from single-chair and vice-chair roles to a flat hierarchy with three chairs sharing the responsibility. Congratulations to new co-chairs Aki Braun (PayPal), Brian Terlson (Microsoft), and Yulia Startsev (Mozilla).
